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ZEISS SIGMA used to analyze Russian meteorite that fell in Chelyabinsk region

ZEISS SIGMA used to analyze Russian meteorite that fell in Chelyabinsk region

Russian News Agencies said on 18 February that scientists have confirmed the extra-terrestrial origin of dozens of tiny fragments found near Chebarkul Lake in Russia's Chelyabinsk region. The analysis was performed by the Research-Educational Centre “Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies" in Urals Federal University. The Ural Federal University (UrFU) is a state-owned university and one of nine in Russia which have the ‘Federal’ status.

"We have just completed the study, we confirm that the particulate matters, found by our expedition in the area of Lake Chebarkul indeed have meteorite nature," said Mr Grohovsky of the Urals Federal University, who is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Meteorite, quoted by Russia's Ria Novosti news agency.

"This meteorite is an ordinary chondrite, it is a stony meteorite which contains some 10% of iron. It is most likely to be named Chebarkul meteorite," he added.

Initially the team of researches was not allowed to inspect the ice crater itself, but around the hole scientists collected several dozens small fragments of the rock about 0.5 – 1 centimeter in diameters which were sent for examination. So far the researchers were able to confirm the samples’ celestial origin out of the 53 small particles sampled.

The Center is equipped with the ZEISS scanning electron microscope SIGMA with Oxford Instruments detectors and it is in active use for both educational and R&D purposes.